Pictured above: Alan Moore, PAST Ltd.
Health and safety officials could put a damper on Christmas
for many shops and businesses in the West Midlands this year
if they decide to crack down on untested fairy lights and
Father Xmas figures.
All portable electric appliances used on business premises
need to have a PAT (portable appliance test) certificate from
a qualified tester. If they are not in place when
inspectors call, fines can be huge, especially if they find
faults or discover the tests themselves have been
"short circuited" by simply having a sticker put on the
appliance.
"There's a serious side to this, because a huge number of
fires are started each Christmas by faulty electrical
decorations," said the UK's leading qualified testor and
authority on the subject, Alan Moore.
"People leave them on in shops and offices and they catch
fire. Christmas also sees many people getting shocks through
faulty wiring."
Alan, who heads Tamworth, Staffordshire-based PAST Ltd,
revealed that a large number of businesses were being fooled
by industry "cowboys" into believing appliances were tested,
leaving them open to fines and a fire risk.
Companies will also discover their insurance voided if
appliances are not tested, a fire occurs or someone gets a
shock.
"Most companies know about PAT but many chose to ignore it
until it is too late; or think they're covered because someone
has simply placed a sticker on the appliance," said Alan.
"The appliance connecting wire has to be tested properly to
ensure it is properly wired up to the appliance and plug.
"Information about PAT testing and PAST, can be found
on www.pastltd.co.uk or telephone 01827 60050.
For local businesses PAST has now opened a walk-in testing
centre, which will test appliances and issue certificates if
they are not faulty. The company already looks after testing
for hundreds of UK companies, storing information about the
tests and the appliance location at the time of testing, which
aids insurance claims."Testing by our qualified engineers only
takes minutes, but can save an awful lot of money,
inconvenience and time," added Alan.